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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cell — in biology
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. row — to paddle
  7. firm — decided
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. snap — to click
  12. firm — a company
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. firm — steady
  18. bat — the animal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cell — a phone
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. row — a line
  24. board — a committee

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com